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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Olympic volunteers in Sochi on Friday. He emphasized that, according to a law banning homosexual "propaganda" among minors, gay visitors to Sochi cannot express their views on gay rights issues to anyone underage. (Alexei Nikolsky / The Associated Press)

By The Associated Press

Fri., Jan. 17, 2014

SOCHI, RUSSIA—Russian President Vladimir Putin says gays should feel welcome at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, but they must “leave the children in peace.”

Putin told volunteers Friday that gays visiting Sochi “can feel calm and at ease,” and he vowed there would be no discrimination at the games. But he emphasized that, according to a law banning homosexual “propaganda” among minors, gays cannot express their views on gay rights issues to anyone underage.

“We aren’t banning anything, we aren’t rounding up anyone, we have no criminal punishment for such relations unlike many other countries,” Putin said. “One can feel relaxed and at ease, but please leave the children in peace.”

Putin appeared to lump homosexuality and pedophilia together. “We have no ban on non-traditional sexual relations. We have a ban on propaganda of homosexuality and pedophilia, I want to underline that, on propaganda among minors,” he said.

Putin and other politicians have defended the June propaganda law as a protection of child rights, but critics believe it discriminates against sexual minorities.

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In the wake of international outcry against the bill, Russian authorities have put limits on the right to protest during the Sochi games, which run Feb. 7-23.

A presidential decree initially banned all rallies in Sochi from Jan. 7 to March 21, but Putin later rescinded the ban to allow demonstrations at venues determined by the Interior Ministry.

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